RiffTrax, in association with Fathom Events will be presenting “RiffTrax Live: Summer Shorts Beach Party” in select cinema venues from coast-to-coast coast on Thu., June 15 at 8 p.m. (local time). An encore pre-recorded screening will be shown in select theaters on Tue., June 20 at 7:30 p.m. (local time).

RiffTrax, in association with Fathom Events and Cinema Epoch will be presenting RiffTrax Live: “Samurai Cop” in select cinema venues from coast-to-coast on Thurs., April 13 at 8 p.m. (local time). A pre-recorded encore presentation of the RiffTrax Live event will take place on Tue., April 18 at 7:30 p.m. (local time). The RiffTrax Live presentation will be broadcast to select theaters live via satellite from the Belcourt Theatre in Nashville, Tennessee.

Robert Z’Dar appeared in two other Z-budget films that were riffed on “MST3K”

Robert Z’Dar (who played Yamashita in “Samurai Cop”) appeared in two Z-budget films that were riffed by Mike Nelson and the bots on MST3K, “Soultaker” (episode #1001) and “Future War” (episode #1004). Both “Soultaker” and “Future War” aired in 1999 during the show’s 10th (and final) season on the Sci-Fi Channel (now known as “Syfy”).

Fans of RiffTrax, MST3K and vintage horror films from coast-to-coast will be in for a special treat in select cinema venues nationwide.

It’s time for RiffTrax Live! “Carnival of Souls” (1962)

RiffTrax, in conjunction with Fathom Events will be presenting a special RiffTrax Live presentation of the 1962 Herk Harvey film, “Carnival of Souls” on Thurs., Oct. 27 at 8 p.m. Eastern/7 p.m. Central in select movie theaters across the nation. A rebroadcast of the RiffTrax live event will take place on Halloween night- Mon., Oct. 31 at 7:30 p.m. (local time).

Fans of MST3K, RiffTrax and Toho Japanese monster films will be in for a treat as one of the classic kaiju flicks will be riffed.

RiffTrax Live: “Mothra” (1961)

RiffTrax, in conjunction with Fathom Events and Columbia Pictures will present a special RiffTrax Live presentation of the 1961 Japanese monster film, “Mothra.” It will be showcased in select cinema venues from coast-to-coast on Thurs., Aug. 18 at 8 p.m. (with an encore presentation on Tue., Aug. 23 at 7:30 p.m.) Eastern.

Featuring veteran riffers and MST3K alums Michael Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett, the RiffTrax crew will be riffing “Mothra” from the Belcourt Theatre in Nashville, Tennessee, which will be broadcast to participating cinema complexes throughout the nation. According to a recent press release on the upcoming RiffTrax event, “Mothra” has been one of many top films that have been on the crew’s list for riffing.

The film features actors Frankie Sakai, Hiroshi Koizumi, Kyoko Kagawa, Jerry Ito (whose name was misspelled as “Jelly Ito” in the opening credits of the film), Emi Ito, Yuri Ito (while the two aforementioned actresses have no connection to Jerry Ito, they were a popular Japanese singing duo, who performed under the name of “The Peanuts”), Masamitsu Tayama and Takashi Shimura.

“Mothra” lands in the United States

Columbia Pictures picked up the American distribution rights to the Toho film and released it to theaters in 1962. It was dubbed in English for American audiences.

According to the Lantern Media History Archive, Columbia’s television subsidiary (Screen Gems) syndicated the dubbed version of “Mothra” in a package of vintage Columbia horror and sci-fi flicks to local stations, titled “X.”

Why you should see RiffTrax Live: “Mothra”

If you’re a fan of RiffTrax, MST3K or vintage Japanese monster films, this is the perfect opportunity to see a “riffed” version of Mothra, through the courtesy of RiffTrax and Michael J. Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett.

Sidenote: The RiffTrax presentation of “Mothra” was first announced during the coming attractions slideshow for other Fathom Events screenings. This took place during the showing of “RIffTrax Live: MST3K Reunion Show” back in June at Regal’s Germantown 14 cineplex. Several audience members were excited about the upcoming RiffTrax presentation of “Mothra,” and sung the “Mothra Chant” (in the style in which “The Peanuts” sang in the 1961 film)!

Throughout the years, many cinema venues have come and gone in Frederick. Today, the area’s cinema choices consist of Regal’s first-run 16-plex Westview Promenade complex, the second-run Holiday Cinemas and for classic/retro screen entertainment, The Weinberg Center For The Arts (the former Tivoli cinema, whenever live stage performances are not taking place).

With the industry’s transition from releasing physical film prints to distributing content through digital cinema platforms (via hard drive or satellite-fed content), it has opened the window to classic, cult and special movie events being shown in select theaters from coast-to-coast in addition to current releases.

“Silver Screen Reflections” asks: Is it time for another first-run cinema venue in Frederick?

Due to the area having only one first-run cinema location, the Frederick area has missed out on many opportunities to showcase special Fathom Events screenings of cult/classic films and special events.

Other estimated factors may include licensing costs, lack of equipment (and auditorium/venue space) to showcase content, or lack of interest.

These include (but are not limited to) Turner Classic Movies’ “Big Screen Classics” classic/cult film showcase, “RiffTrax Live” theatrical film riffing events (featuring MST3K alums Mike Nelson, Bill Corbett and Kevin Murphy), independent features, along with live broadcasts of rock concerts, performances direct from the Metropolitan Opera and other popular big-name venues throughout the world.

Viable possibilities for another first-run cinema in the Frederick area:

Something for everyone: Classic, cult and independent films, along with other special cinema events (including live events being broadcast) would be a perfect complement in addition to recent releases.

Discount ticket prices for college students and senior citizens (in addition to “bargain matinee” showdates): Perfect for every taste in cinematic entertainment.

A theater that’s visually appealing in theatrical picture and sound presentation: A venue that would rival the traditional “cookie-cutter” cineplex exhibition rooms of today.

People may not want to drive far to see their favorite films on the big screen (if the film is unavailable for showing in the area):**– Though this may sound awkward to some, many are still saving money due to the lackluster economy.

**Unless if it is a good cinema/theatrical venue.

The Management of “Silver Screen Reflections” would like to hear from you!

Whether you are for or against the idea of another first-run cineplex venue in the Frederick area, “Silver Screen Reflections” gladly welcomes comments and additional suggestions on this.